Lifesaving headgear



' Nov, 14, 1944.

D. `sElauI-i LIFE s'AvING HEADGEAR Filed June 23, 1942 l fnvenl-bn Attorney.

Patented Nov. 1 4,A 1944 l LrFEsAvrNG HEADGEAR Y Dickran` yS'ebouh, New York, N. Y.

' 4Application June 23, 1942, SeriaINO. 448,129

2 claims. (01. 12s- 145) My invention relates to life saving devices for preventing persons from drowning, and has for.

its object to provide a device of the indicated type constructed in a novel manner to enable persons to remain safely in the -Water for yiridefinite periods without swimming. l

The invention. contemplates further the provision of a novel life saving device Awhich when worn bya person enablesr the latter to breathe normally and lwithout effort even though the face ofthe wearer of` said device may be' completely submerged in water. f I

lThe invention further has for its object to provide. a novel life saving devicel which may be used alone or inconjunction with other approved devices such as'conventional life preservers, life jackets and the like, andA in yany case supplies the. wearer immersed in water with air in adequate amounts for breathing purposes as along asmay be required.

Other-,objects will` appear from the .descrip-, tion hereinafter and the features of novelty will befpointed out in the claims.

`,In the accompanying' drawing, Which illustrates an rei'iar'nple of the invention without defining its limits,

Fig. 6 is a perspective sectional View of a hand pump which may be'included in the device, and ,Fig. V'7 is an enlarged cross-section on theiline 'I-'Iof Fig. 5.

In detail, my device consists of four separate units which'when assembled will look as shown lin Fig. l. The parts'forming the rst unit, viz., the mask I, the cap 2, theV tubes v3, ILand 5, the viitting B and the loops 1 are permanently attached together, in their respective' places, for

instance by vwaterproof cementing. The entire rst unit is put on and taken off as one piece of wearing apparel. The mask I is somewhat roundrin shapepand extends outward from the face and forms a small chamber around the mouthY and the nose. The mask l may be made of light plastic material and then cemented on the cap 2, or it may be made of'rubber and form an integralpart of the'capfZ. In the latter case the walls of the mask section preferably arevof greater thickness and heavier than the adjoining cap section (see Figs. 3 and 4) in order to prevent the mask from collapsing over the mouth and the nose under the pressure of the water, thereby making it impossible or very diicult to breathe. The mask I is provided with three, preferably round perforations a, b, and c, into which fit the tubes 3, 4 and 5 respectively, the llatter being permanently 'attached to said mask I in a manner shown in Fig. 4. The other ends of the tubes 3 and 4 are similarly attached to a suitable tting 6, while the free end of the tube 5 is detachably connected to a hand pump 8 for the purpose to be more fully set forth hereinafter.

The cap section 2 is made of highly elastic material, such as rubber, which clings firmly to the head of the wearer thereby making the device waterproof and also more easily adjusted to various size heads. Loops 1 suitably attached to theY cap 2 are provided for clamping the tubes 3 andl 4 to said cap 2 in more or less xed position thereon and for preventing said tubes from swinging about. The two apertures 9 on the cap, for the eyes, may be left uncovered exposing the eyes to the Water. This will not in any way aiTect the purpose .of my device. However,y for the sake of better vision, comfort and for .the protection of the eyes, the cap 2 may be provided with apair of goggles I0 (Fig. 2) formed as an integral part thereof in registry with the apertures 9.

The fitting 6 may be also made of elastic material, such as rubber, and may be made `as a separate piece and then cemented in place on the top part of the cap 2 or said tting 6 may be molded with 'the cap in one piece. The Walls and the base of the fitting (i,A Fig. 5, are heavy and strong enough to' maintain an air-pipe I2 of four or ve feet in length, in an erect position on the cap 2 so as to project above the surface of the water when the device is in use and yet exible enough to permit said pipe I2to yield to the bodyv movements ofthe wearer and tothe splash of water or impact of a wave hitting -said pipe I2, and thereby prevent excessive strain being transmitted to the head of the wearer. Acting as a shock absorber, the corrugationV I3 will contribute further help in this respect. l,On the inner surface of the walls of the tting 6, extending for about an inch, is a spiral groove into which is threaded the threaded end of the airpipe I2, so as to snugly t saidltting 6. A free yspace about one half or veeighths of an yinchv y deep is left between the bottom of the itting 6 and the inner end of the pipe I2 to permit the circulation of the air between the air-pipe or tube I2 and the tubes 3 and 4 leading from the mask I as shown in Fig. 5.

terior of this pipe or tube is divided into twol equal and independent channels by a partition I5 (Fig. 7) running along its-entire length and.

parallel to its longitudinal axis. With this arrangement the exhaled air passes outwardly through. thepipe I2 along one sideV of the partitionlwhile at'the same time fresh atmospheric air p asses inwardly through the pipe I2 along the. opposite side of said partition I5. In other word`sbecause of. the fact that the exhaled air is` lighter thanthe fresh atmospheric air, said exhaled air rises inthe pipe I2 to one side of thepartition. I5I as statedand thereby develops atrue convection current in said pipe I2'which removes thei exhalation products and supplies fresh air for inhalation to the `wearer of the devlce.

The third unit, made ofan elastic material, such as rubber, is the topmost hollow terminal piece IBI'having a central section and two tubular sections suspended freely therefrom in the airv with their open ends facing downward as shown. in Figs. 1, Zand 5. The central section is" forced down over the top end of the air-pipe I2` and is secured in place by the ilange I4 at the end of theair-pipe I2. The small extension II on` the inside of this third unit, by resting on the upper end of. the partition I5, prevents the terminal Ipiece Ifrom sliding down on the pipe or tube I2 and closing the air passage.

No` matter what position the air-pipe I2 assumes, viz, perpendicular or tipping forward, backwardv or sideward, the open ends of the exible tubular sections of the terminal piece I6, suspended freely in the air, will always face downward.. dueto the force of gravity. The air might be shut oif, for an instant only, by a splash of'water or a wave completely enveloping the terminal piece and the entire length of the airpipe, butno water will run up against the force of gravity and enter thru the open ends of the terminal piece and thence into the air-pipe and the mask. It isonly on very unusual occasions and `by an unusual combination of successive swinging motions of the air-pipe that a small amount of water might be `forced into the open endsof the terminal piece and might reach the mask; and` it is for this emergency only that the pump 8 has been introduced, as described below.

The fourth unit is a Small hand pump .8' (Figs. 1 and 6);,COnsisting of'a hollow oval rubber bulb terminating at two of its opposite ends in the tubes I8 and IS, each tube' being about three quarters of an inch long and each having an inside' diameter of about one quarter of an inch. At the outermost end the edges of the tube I8 converge to a point inside the tube forming the valve 20'and closing the entrance into the bulb. The-valve 2`I is yformed in the same way except thatthe` edges-of the tube I9 converge to close safety measure.

the `exit end of the bulb at a point outside the tube I9. Both of these valves 20, 2|, operate in the same direction so that when the bulb 8 is squeezed the compressed aiz` presses the valve 2| open and forces at the same time Whatever Water that there is in the bulb 8, out thru the tube 22. As soon as the bulb is released the suction created inside the expanding bulb will cause the valve 20 to open, allowing any water which may have accumulatedin themask I and the tube 5 to enter the bulband to be expelled from the bulb thru the tube 22 by the next compression ofl said bulb 8. Thus as soon as the wearer of this device feels any water in the mask he will be able to pump it out by the repeated alternate operation of compressing and releasing the rubber bulb. This pump unit, as stated once before, is included in my device only as an additional It will not be necessary to operate it at all except on rare occasions.- It can even be dispensed with when the device is to be used in calm waters.

This concludes the structural descriptionl of my device. Regarding its operation the following" simple directions are explanatory.'

First-Screw the long plastic airspipe I2, as'

far as it will go, into the tting Iiv located on the top of the cap 2.

Second- Press the central partk of the twoarmed hollow terminalpiece I6 over the. top endy of the air-pipe I2 and force it down as far as it' well so that it clings snugly to the back of your head, to your face and underyour chin, leaving no bulges or openings that will let'water into the mask. If'in a rough sea, water should enter the mask, the water may be removed by compressing and releasing the rubber bulb 8 until allthe water is expelled from the mask. When swimming hold your head up.

In reference to swimming with my device the following nal explanation seems to be in order.

As seen in Fig. 2, the air-pipe is installedin a slightly inclining. position in orderto have it at nearly the same angle with the plane ofthe surface of the water both in standing. position and swimming position of the body, meaning that the uppermost end of the air-pipe will be as far above the surface ofthe water in swimming position as it is inthe vstanding position because in swimming, excepting in using the crawl stroke, the head israised upwards bringing the air-pipe to the position shown by the dotted lines in. Fig. 2, which position, as far as the distancebetween the end'of the air-pipe and the surface of the water is concerned, is approximately the same as the position of said pipe when the wearerv is in an upright position in the water.

Having thus concluded the description of`my inventionI claim:

l. A life saving device to prevent drowning comprising a watertight mask, means forfi'rmly, securing said mask over the face of.v the wearer, a

flexible tting arranged to be positioned-.on the. head of said wearer, a tube having its one. endY securedin said fitting and.projecting.upwardlyA therefrom above the level of thewater. in whichsaid wearer isafloat, means'at thev freeendof. said tube for preventing free entry ofwater into position upon the head of the wearer, a device` the same without interfering with the admission of air to the interior of said tube, air connections establishing communication between said tube and said'mask, a partition extending lengthwise of said tube and dividing the interiorrthereof into two channels whereby a convection current is developed in' said tube for supplying breathing air to the interior of said mask and for removing exhalation products therefrom to enablev the wearer to breathe `normally in water while completely submerged therein up to any'depth not greater than that which enables the means at the free end of said tube to remain above the surface of said water, anda hand pump connected with said mask and operatingat 'will to drain out K 'incidental Water accumulated therein.

2. The combination of a watertight mask, an

air tube associated with said mask, means for.

firmly securing said mask over the face of the wearer and for maintaining said tube in'an erect fitted upon the free end of said tube for preventing free entry of water into the same, said device comprising aA central section and two tubular sections suspended freely therefrom by gravity, air connections establishing communication between said mask and said tube, means whereby free circulation of air through said air connections between the mask, air tube and atmosphere is provided for supplying breathing air to and removing exhalation products from said mask to enable the wearer to breathe normally in water while completely submerged therein up to any depth not greater than that which permits the open ends of said tubular sections to remain above the surface of said water, and a hand pump connected with saidmask and operating at will to drain out incidental water accumulated therem. f f

` DICKRAN SELBOUH. 

